Two of the hottest sectors in the ESG revolution right now are hydrogen and absolutely anything that ties into the $5 trillion global transportation industry .
Investors are piling into hydrogen – a potential solution for a clean energy future - and it’s now predicted to become an $11-trillion marketplace by 2050.
It simultaneously compliments and competes with the explosively growing EV sector, where Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) is predicted to be on track to become a $1-trillion company, or even $2 trillion , by some estimations, up from its current $400 billion.
The profound transportation revolution that’s unfolding at the moment has so many verticals, it’s dizzying.
From a mad scramble to get out more vehicles and steal market share, to battery battles, the race for the best charging solution, carbon-offset ride-sharing and landmark EV car subscription services…. a lot is at stake floating around this huge space.
A massive $250 billion is now managed by ESG index funds, making ESG an investing megatrend that’s soared over two years.
Over 3,000 investors with over $110 trillion in assets under management have signed on to the Principles for Responsible Investment , which supports its signatories incorporating ESG factors into their investment and ownership decisions..
Another industry-led group of 70 members with $9 trillion in assets under management are following suit.
That’s $119 trillion in investments looking for an ESG angle.
This is Big Capital’s new safe haven …
But it’s not just a safe haven. It’s becoming a very lucrative element on Wall Street. It’s outperforming the market.
For the first time in U.S history, corporate America is embracing sustainability and there are some lucrative opportunities ...
Here are six hot stocks with a solid ESG element for a tech-driven energy solution:
#1 Bloom Energy (NYSE:BE)
A recent survey of 1,000 industry executives concluded that hydrogen fuel cell technology will ultimately outperform battery-powered EVs.
Technological advances and a ton of money piling into R&D have revived hydrogen for a potentially massive comeback.
From the European Union's ambitious hydrogen strategy and giant utilities switching to hydrogen to Wall Street doubling down on the predicted $11 trillion hydrogen marketplace by 2050 , hydrogen is now in overdrive, and some fuel cell companies are seeing their stocks soar as FCEVs (fuel cell electric vehicles) take center stage.
One of the most exciting is Bloom.
California-based Bloom designs, manufactures and sells solid-oxide fuel cell systems. And, yes, there’s been a ton of cash burn up to this point, but it’s heralding massive innovation--and that’s what tech startups are all about. Growth runways, not immediate profit.
That’s why we are willing to throw tons of money at our innovative future. Eventually, the narrative changes and for the successful companies, the cash burn stops and there starts to be payback for investors. Anyone who didn’t get in on time got left in the innovation dust.
That’s what’s already happening with Bloom. Savvy investor patience is paying off. Bloom is now on track to be the first fuel cell maker to become cash-flow positive.
Stocks are soaring:
In a year, it’s gained over 312%. For investors who got in October, 2019 at $3.69 and then cashed out in early October 2020 when the stock hit $22.92, they would have been rewarded with a 521% gain.
And this could all be about to get even bigger. Why? Because this relatively small company is thinking in huge terms: We’re not just talking about fuel cells for construction vehicles or to power remote electricity generation … Bloom is thinking far bigger than that: It’s targeting utility scale applications of fuel cells. It’s targeting industrial-scale applications ...
And in the process, it’s attracting some very big names.
Bloom has recently announced a series of high-profile partnerships, including a JV with Samsung Heavy Industries and a second with a major South Korean engineering and construction company. Those partnerships could lead to a massive uptick in fuel cell deployments and analysts are looking at a potential for Bloom to increase its sales by seven times.
This may be a newly re-emerging sector, but it’s riding a huge wave and of all the hydrogen bets out there, this one seems the most clear-cut path to grabbing a piece of this momentum.
#2 Facedrive (TSXV:FD; OTCMKTS:FDVRF)
Canadian Facedrive ( TSXV:FD ; OTCMKTS:FDVRF ) has to be singled out here because it’s probably the smartest company we’ve seen in its strategy of tying itself into multiple tech-driven ESG industries for maximum impact and tons of verticals.
While its flagship ride-sharing platform threw a major challenge to giants Uber and Lyft by being the first in the world to grasp the ESG megatrend by offering carbon-offset rides, planting trees along the way and letting people choose EVs or hybrids …
That was just one major launch out of an entire ESG ecosystem:
The news flow has been absolutely stunning.
The past few months have seen this company strike a series of landmark deals and attract some of the biggest names in tech, energy and transportation. (And even on the Major League Sports arena).
In September, Facedrive scooped up Washington, DC, based-Steer in a deal that included a $2-million strategic investment by energy giant Exelon’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Exelorate Enterprises, LLC.
This is where we get to combine the $5 trillion global transportation industry with an energy industry whose renewables sector alone will grow dramatically in a matter of years.
Facedrive and Steer have set out to revolutionize transportation by completely changing the way we view car ownership.
It will be a huge boon for the already explosive EV industry because anyone who couldn’t afford a Tesla... or perhaps an Audi e-Tron… can now drive one, with Steer’s EV subscription service.
Giant Exelon’s (NASDAQ:EXC) isn’t the only big market-cap company tied into Facedrive, either …
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) has joined Facedrive’s Corporate Partnership Program, along with Canadian Tier 1 telecoms company, Telus …
In August, Facedrive ( TSXV:FD ; OTCMKTS:FDVRF ) acquired Tally Technologies , the high-tech major league sports predicting startup founded by NFL superstar Russel Wilson.
In yet another tech-ESG vertical, in October, Facedrive signed a deal with Air Canada to launch a pilot project for its employees using proprietary COVID-19 contact-trading technology, TraceSCAN.
That gives it a spot in the frontline of the global healthcare industry’s battle with the pandemic.
It also ties Facedrive ( TSXV:FD ; OTCMKTS:FDVRF ) into the $7.6T global travel and tourism industry, which is facing $1 trillion in losses due to the pandemic and is expected to shed 100 million jobs before the year is out.
#3 Blink Charging (NASDAQ:BLNK)
Blink an electric vehicle charging company, has seen its stock price rise by over 400% this year alone, and it’s showing no signs of slowing. A flurry of new deals, including a collaboration with EnerSys have created some support for the relative newcomer.
Michael D. Farkas, Founder, CEO and Executive Chairman of Blink noted, “This is an exciting collaboration with EnerSys because it combines the industry-leading technologies of our two companies to provide user-friendly, high powered, next-generation charging alternatives. We are continuously innovating our product offerings to provide more efficient and convenient charging options to the growing community of EV drivers.”
Another high-profile deal between Blink and Envoy Technologies to deploy electric vehicoes and charging stations adds further support.
Aric Ohana, CEO of Envoy noted, “We’re excited to work with Blink on the deployment of their fast Level 2 charging stations as part of our exclusive electric car-sharing service. The vision of our two companies is aligned: to advance the adoption of electric vehicles. To continue to drive the growth and success across our expanding locations, we have to ensure that our clients have easy and efficient access to high-quality, reliable charging equipment. Blink has an established reputation as an innovator in the EV market, and we are thrilled to add them as a preferred partner.”
#4 Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
It’s no secret that Apple has always thought outside of the box. And when it brought back Steve Jobs in 1997, the company really took off. Jobs also paved the way to a greener future for the company. From the products themselves, to the packages they came in, and even the data centers powering them, Steve Jobs went above and beyond to cut the environmental impact of his company.
After his passing, Tim Cook took these principles to heart, and picked up the torch, transforming all of Apple’s operations into models of a sustainable future. Now, all of Apple’s operations run on 100% renewable energy .
"We proved that 100 percent renewable is 100 percent doable. All our facilities worldwide—including Apple offices, retail stores, and data centers—are now powered entirely by clean energy. But this is just the beginning of how we’re reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. We’re continuing to go further than most companies in measuring our carbon footprint, including manufacturing and product use. And we’re making great progress in those areas too," CEO Tim Cook explained.
And it’s already having an impact. Not only have they decreased their average product’s energy use by 70 percent. They’ve reduced their total carbon footprint by more than 35 percent in just a few short years. All while securing the title as the World’s First Trillion Dollar Company.
#5 Xpeng Inc. (NYSE:XPEV)
Xpeng is a relative newcomer in the electric vehicle scene, but it has seen tremendous success in its short time on the market. The Chinese electric vehicle giant is riding on the coattails of Tesla and Nio, but has carved out its own demand, especially among Robinhood traders looking for the next big score. Since its NYSE debut in August, the ambitious electric vehicle company has risen by more than 44% thanks to its promising financials and growing demand for its stylish vehicles.
In addition to retail interest, Xpeng has also received a ton of interest from Big Money. Earlier this year the company raised over $500 million from the likes of Aspex, Coatue, Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital China , and even more recently, secured another $400 million from heavy hitters such as Alibaba, Qatar Investment Authority and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund Mubadala.
As the demand for electric vehicles continues to grow, newcomers like Xpeng provide an excellent opportunity for investors to jump on this undeniable trend even if the missed out on Tesla’s meteoric rise to glory.
#6 Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) too is jumping on board the sustainability train. On multiple fronts. Last year, CEIO Jeff Bezos launched a $10 billion climate change fund, but that was only the beginning. Amazon is also making major moves to clean up its act. The company is investing big on the transportation of tomorrow, leading a $700 million investment round in the electric vehicle startup, Rivian. It has also acquired a robo-taxi startup, Zoox.
In addition to its transportation push, Amazon has pledged to go completely carbon neutral by the year 2040, a full decade ahead of the Paris Climate Agreement. As a part of that pledge, the tech giant is also looking to power all of its operations by 100% renewable energy within the next five years.
The $1.5 trillion e-commerce giant caught some criticism earlier this year regarding treatment of its employees, but responded quickly, raising the minimum wage for its workers and setting aside hundreds of millions of dollars to increase the quality of life for its employees.
Despite criticism of the company, it’s undeniable that its business model and commitment to doing better is resonating with investors. This year alone, Amazon has seen its stock price jump from $1898 to $3128, representing a 65% return for investors who have managed to hold on.
BONUS: Canada’s Top Sustainable Stocks
Let’s start with some Canada’s renewable energy boom. Boralex Inc. (TSX:BLX) is one of Canada’s most ambitious renewable energy firms. It played a major role in kicking the country’s domestic green energy boom into high gear. Its main renewable energies are produced through wind, hydroelectric, thermal and solar sources and help power the homes of many people across Canada and other parts of the world, including the United States, France and the United Kingdom.
Westport Fuel Systems (TSX:WPRT) is a another renewable energy company in Canada. It creates green solutions for the transportation industry. it provides systems for less impactful fuels, such as natural gas. This is a huge emerging opportunity in the push for cleaner fuels. In North America alone, there are over 225,000 natural gas vehicles. But that’s nothing in comparison to the 22.5 million natural gas vehicles on the road across the globe. That means Westpoint Fuel Systems still has a ton of room to grow!
Canada’s Silicon Valley is joining the ESG race, too. Shopify Inc (TSX:SHOP) Canada’s own e-commerce giant helps users build their own online stores. It has huge clients – everyone from Tesla to Budweiser are on board. And the company is beloved by millennial investors. In addition to its revolutionary approach on e-commerce, Shopify is playing an increasingly active role in creating a greener tomorrow. It has committed to spending at least $5 million annually to help combat climate change. It’s even making cuts throughout its own operations, decommissioning its data centers and sourcing renewable power for its buildings.
Shaw Communications Inc (TSX:SJR.B) is one of Canada’s leading telecom infrastructure and cloud service providers. Its dominance in Canada’s telecom sector means that if any internet-based services want to operate, they’ll likely be utilizing the company’s infrastructure. After all, without telecoms, these TaaS companies would not be able to operate. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing when you consider Shaw’s sustainability goals. In fact, it is one of the biggest customers of Bullfrog Power which sources its electricity from a blend of wind energy and hydropower. It is also building its own portfolio of clean energy investments.
BCE Inc. (TSX:BCE) is another household name in Canadian telecom. Throughout its push into the position of one of Canada’s top telco groups, it has bought and sold a number of different firms. BCE is currently at the forefront of the Internet of Things movement in Canada. That means it will play a vital role in building new sustainability projects and making Canada’s cities smarter and more efficient.
By. Claudia Klinsmann
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Forward-Looking Statements / This publication contains forward-looking information which is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this publication include that the demand for ride sharing services will grow; that Steer can help completely change the way people view car ownership, that Steer can disrupt industry segments; that the Tally app will become popular and start generating substantial revenues; that the Tally sports predictive app will lead to online sports revenue; that Tracescan could help the tourism industry deal with COVID and will sign new agreements for use of its alert wearables; that new tech deals will be signed by Facedrive; that Facedrive will be able to expand to the US and globally; that Facedrive will be able to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term; and that Facedrive will be able to carry out its business plans. These forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Risks that could change or prevent these statements from coming to fruition include that riders are not as attracted to EV rides as expected; that the Tally app may not become popular, may not lead to revenues from the app; that competitors may offer better or cheaper alternatives to the Facedrive businesses; TraceScan may not work as expected in commercial settings; changing governmental laws and policies; the company’s ability to obtain and retain necessary licensing in each geographical area in which it operates; the success of the company’s expansion activities and whether markets justify additional expansion; the ability of the company to attract drivers who have electric vehicles and hybrid cars; the ability of Facedrive to attract providers of good and services for merchandise partnerships on terms acceptable to both parties, and on profitable terms for Facedrive; and that the products co-branded by Facedrive may not be as merchantable as expected. The forward-looking information contained herein is given as of the date hereof and we assume no responsibility to update or revise such information to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
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